These States Didn’t Even Try To Hide Their Racism

protestors holding a sign
Via flickr
Adé Hennis
October 3, 2024

You won’t believe how far these states went to show exactly how they felt about Black people.

#1: Indiana: The 1816 Indiana Constitution prohibited slavery, but Black people still had to pass a high bar if they wanted to live there. In 1831, the legislature required any Black person residing or wanting to reside in Indiana to register with their local authorities and pay a $500 “guarantee of good behavior.” (That’s more than $17,000 today.)

#2: Oregon: The 1857 Oregon Constitution banned slavery, but with few exceptions, Black people were prohibited from living in, owning property, and making contracts in the state. The state constitution and a series of exclusion laws kept Black people out. Today less than 3% of Oregon’s population identifies as Black.

#3: Alabama: Alabama has had six constitutions.  The goal of the 1901 Constitution was to consolidate white supremacy by “eliminating  the ignorant negro vote.”  The constitution allowed involuntary servitude, poll taxes, school segregation, and banned interracial marriage. Although voters voted to remove racist language from the state constitution in 2022, there is still work to be done.

Anti-Blackness can appear in any form. Although today it isn’t usually as blatant as a law that says Black people can’t live, vote, go to school, or work somewhere, the effects are the same. What do the laws of your state really say?

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